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A lot of huge things are going on in the Tech space in Africa . On Friday 17th may ,Microsoft opened Africa Development center in Lagos . The centre, which is Microsoft’s 7th globally, is recruiting world-class African engineering talent to develop innovative solutions that span the intelligent cloud and intelligent edge. Initial sites are Lagos, Nigeria and Nairobi, Kenya.

Google in partnership with Pluralsight is offering to train 30,000 Africans to become world class apps developers and give 1,000 grants for the Google Associate Android, Mobile Web, and Associate Cloud Engineer certifications. This is part of their effort to provide mobile developer training to 100,000 Africans to develop world class apps

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Google is
partnering with Pluralsight to give you free access to Pluralsight
course content plus support from the Andela Learning Community across
three skills development tracks: Mobile Web, Android and Google Cloud.

After completing your desired skills
development track, you will be eligible to receive a Google
certification grant to take Google’s Associate Android Developer, Mobile
Web Specialist and Associate Cloud Engineer certification exams

Strive Masiyiwa & Wife, owners of Econet telecom is giving out $100 million to fund rural entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe.

This is the success story of
Strive Masiyiwa. A business leader who based his success on the
betterment of his people, nation, and continent. He faced a lot of
challenges from Zimbabwe spanning through Nigeria, and his courage to
stand strong in the face of overwhelming adversity to attain success
while still giving back to the society is an inspiration to many.

Today, he is not just one of Africa’s
wealthiest and most powerful personalities but is the founder of one of
Africa’s leading telecoms companies, Econet.

Strive Masiyiwa is famous for his
philanthropic efforts and passion for social/economic empowerment. And
has become a man whose actions changes lives and creates lasting
legacies.

The Early Years Of Strive Masiyiwa

On the 29th of January, 1961 the Masiyiwas
welcomed their baby boy, Strive, to the world. The Masiyiwas were a
hardworking family living in South Rhodesia which was later renamed
Zimbabwe. At that time, the Ian Smith government was collapsing in the
face of anti-colonialism and revolution.

Knowing that political unrest meant
economic hardship, the Masiyiwas made the decision to leave their home
country. So in 1968, seven years old Strive and his family moved to
Kitwe, a popular copper mining town in North-central, Zambia. Shortly
after, Mr Masiyiwa, Strive’s Father, got a job working in one of Kitwe’s
copper mines. His entrepreneurial mother got involved in
transportation, farming, and retail businesses. The business so
prospered that Mr Masiyiwa left his mining job and joined the family
business.

Education And Military Career

In 1973, the Masiyiwas were able to afford
what many African parents wanted for their children; a European
education. When he was 12 years old, Strive Masiyiwa left Zambia for an
education at a private secondary school in Edinburg, Scotland.

After his graduation in 1978, Strive (17)
decided to join the anti-colonial movement in Zimbabwe. When he got
there, he met a senior officer who told him told him that what Zimbabwe
needed wasn’t more fighters but builders. Taking that advice to heart,
he turned around and went back to the U.K.

Strive was then admitted into the
University of Wales where he obtained a degree in Electrical and
Electronics Engineering in 1983.e

Pre-Entrepreneurship Experience

Done with his tertiary education, Strive
Masiyiwa joined the corporate world. For a short while, he worked in the
tech industry in Cambridge, England. In 1984, he returned to the
post-colonial, newly independent Zimbabwe.

Strive Masiyiwa was ready to begin rebuilding his country.

He was employed as a senior engineer at the
state-owned telephone Zimbabwean company, Posts and Telecommunications
Corporations (PTC). Strive’s brilliance and excellent work ethic caused
his superiors to fast-track his promotion from senior to principal
engineer in the corporation in a short period of time.

Despite career progress, there was
something lacking. Strive Masiyiwa was disturbed by incessant government
formalities hindering the progress of the industry. And in 1988, he
quit PTC to start his own company, Retrofit Engineering. It was a move
that earned him Zimbabwe’s Youngest Businessman of the Year Award in
1990.S

The Retrofit Engineer

Strive Masiyiwa’s entry into the entrepreneurial world was entirely
on time. At this time, the construction industry in Zimbabwe was
booming. Strive organized a team of about 100 people, launched Retrofit
Engineering with about $75 and began offering electrical engineering
services on a contract basis.

Five years later, Retrofit Engineering became a top engineering company in the country.

The Econet Empire; Beginning, Trials, And Success.

Beginning:

Strive Masiyiwa’s telecom empire, Econet, started with the idea of a
problem that needed an effective solution. He saw that at the time most
Africans did not know about mobile telecommunications. Some hadn’t even
heard a cell phone ring. In a world that was constantly advancing
technologically, this was a huge problem. It was a need that had to be
supplied and used to move his country to the new age of technology.

Thus began the journey towards the establishment of the mobile telecom operation service in Zimbabwe.

In 1994, Strive Masiyiwa prepared a business plan and approached the
CEO of Standard Chartered Merchant Bank, Dr Nkosana Moyothe. He laid out
his ideas to the CEO and requested a loan to fund his novel company.
Fortunately, the bank believed in him and gave him the loan he needed.
With the capital in place, he went to his former place of employment,
PTC. Masiyiwa had prepared a proposal that included a partnership with a
mobile telecoms company. According to the proposal, PTC would own 51%
shares leaving Masiyiwa with 49% stake.

But he was shut down completely!

His former employers took a look at his business idea and discarded
it. As far as they were concerned, PTC was and would always be the
leading (if not the only) telecommunications corporation in Zimbabwe.
They were firm in the belief that mobile telecommunication was a
temporary phase and that people would return to the traditional in no
time.

There and then, his application for a business license was denied.

First Trials:

Probably to the dismay of the PTC and Zimbabwean government, Strive
Masiyiwa was not a man to be defeated by the word, “No”. Instead, it
strengthened his resolve to achieve something that was definitely going
to be the start of something great for Zimbabwe.

Strive Masiyiwa began the 5-year legal (bankrupting) battle with the
Zimbabwean government. Till this day, people describe it as a David and
Goliath combat. And as the Bible story goes, Strive Masiyiwa (David)
defeated Goliath (the government). For in 1998, the Constitutional Court
of Zimbabwe awarded Strive Masiyiwa the license to establish and
operate a mobile telecom service in Zimbabwe.

His victory ended the government’s monopoly over the telecoms
industry and ushered in the era of privately-owned telecoms companies.

Soon after, Strive Masiyiwa established Econet Wireless, Zimbabwe.

In about 12 years, Masiyiwa proved PTC wrong; Econet Wireless is and remains the leading mobile Telecoms Company in Zimbabwe.

The Econet Group:

In March 2000, Masiyiwa left Zimbabwe to South Africa on a
self-imposed exile. But this was not a decision he made lightly.
Although he won the licensing battle, things were far from settled. The
Zimbabwean government had no intention of letting things go without
retaliation.

While on exile, he founded the Econet Wireless group. However, the
company had no connection to Econet Wireless in Zimbabwe. This was the
group that led to the establishment of a global empire.

At present, the Econet Group has holdings and investments in the U.K,
China, South America, UAE, New Zealand, Europe, and Africa.

He is an investor in businesses in Fintech and some power
distribution companies. Particularly successful is his London-based
asset, Liquid Telecom—a fibre optic/satellite service company. The
privately held telecom company is currently Africa’s leading satellite
and fibre optic company.

Masiyiwa also extended his interests to the U.S. He has the majority
shares in Seldon Technologies, the manufacturers of nanofiber carbon
product in Vermont. He is partners with John Stanton, an influential
telecom entrepreneur, in a venture named Trilogy International Partners.
This business birthed “2 Degrees” a mobile operator in New Zealand.

Other Trials:

Masiyiwa’s second round of personal and business attacks from the
government were significant events in his personal and entrepreneurial
journey.

In the early months of 2002, Daily News, the only independent
newspaper with the largest reader base in Zimbabwe, was heading towards
bankruptcy. In a timely manner, Masiyiwa stepped in and invested in the
newspaper. Consequently, he became one of the top shareholders in
Associate Newspapers of Zimbabwe.

In what was an obvious attack, the paper was shut down by the government on the basis of illegal operations.

Strive Masiyiwa had no choice but to sell his shares and move on. Daily News remained closed until 2011.

The attacks continued.

In 2014, the government sanctioned the arrest of Econet Wireless
executives and directors. These people were sent to a maximum security
prison in chains like hardened criminals. Fortunately, Strive was in
Singapore to secure foreign investments, so the government could not get
to him. Going to South Africa was ill-advised at this time as his
government’s reach extended there. Whilst his people suffered unjustly,
his hard-won company was on the verge of crumbling. There was no
leadership, everyone was in a panic and the government was on a manhunt.

A week later, there was a hearing but it did not go in their favour.
Despite the lack of concrete evidence, they were sent back to prison.
Nevertheless, Masiyiwa and his team did not stop pushing for their
release.

Thankfully, they were released about nine days later and (to everyone’s surprise) they all went back to work immediately.

In spite of it all, nothing could stop Masiyiwa and his team’s progress. They continued working hard for themselves, for the people of Zimbabwe and for Africa.

Strive Masiyiwa and Humanity

Time and time again, Masiyiwa has demonstrated his compassion for
humanity and his passion for human development. He is devoted to
philanthropy as a means of uplifting others. He is well-known for his
initiatives that aim towards making life easier, financially. With his
personal wealth, he built a remarkable educational support program for
African orphans. Now, over 40 thousand children have benefited from the
Masiyiwa family foundation.

Alongside Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, Masiyiwa is a member of the
Giving Pledge initiative. Furthermore, he and his wife, Tsitsi, created a
foundation, Higherlife, for orphaned children in Burundi, South Africa,
Lesotho, and Zimbabwe.

Masiyiwa became the co-chairperson of Grow Africa in 2013; an African
agricultural investment forum which has helped raise $15 Billion for
agricultural projects in Africa. He is also the chairman of another
agricultural support program (AGRA) for small-scale farmers in Africa.

Health programs and anti-campaigns against Ebola, Cervical Cancer,
and HIV/AIDS prevention have had Masiyiwa’s valuable support. A
passionate environmentalist, he teamed up with Sir Richard Branson to
set up Carbon War room.

Awards, Recognitions, And Appointments

Strive Masiyiwa was named as one of the ’10 Most Outstanding
Young Leaders of the World’ by the World Junior Chambers of Commerce’ in
1998.

In the year 2003, a CNN magazine pole listed Masiyiwa as ‘One of the Most Influential Business Leaders in the World’

In 2012, Strive was invited by US President Barack Obama to attend
the 38th G8 summit at Camp David to speak to them about effective
strategies for increased food production and poverty eradication in
Africa.

In 2014, Fortune Magazine named Strive Masiyiwa ‘One of the 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in the World.

In 2015, Strive Masiyiwa was presented with the Freedom Award by the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

Masiyiwa is on the 2015 Forbes Magazine ‘10 Most Powerful Men in Africa’ list.

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With KwikCash, you can access loans of
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Aella Credit has two options: in-network — for users whose
company is registered on the platform — and out-of-network, that caters for
people whose company is not registered. The in-network option promises higher
loan amounts at lower interest rates.

SnapCredit provides instant credit solutions to employees.
They collaborate with employers and provide their staff with an online platform
to access loans. Their platform eliminates all the hassle and gives employees
instant 24/7 access to credit at very competitive and fair rates.

KiaKia makes use of a chatbot that takes you through the
process of registration and other activities towards getting your personal
loans. You must have a work identity card before you can access a loan on
Kiakia. You can also choose to register as a lender.

Paylater
makes access to credit easy. No
guarantors, no collateral, no wahala. You can apply 24/7 and receive funds in
your account in as little as 5 minutes. Unlock higher loan amounts and lower
interest rates by repaying on time.

KwikCash by 9mobile

With KwikCash, you can access loans of
up to N100, 000 just by dialling *561# with your Etisalat line and get credited
in minutes.

Aella Credit has two options: in-network — for users whose
company is registered on the platform — and out-of-network, that caters for
people whose company is not registered. The in-network option promises higher
loan amounts at lower interest rates.

SnapCredit provides instant credit solutions to employees.
They collaborate with employers and provide their staff with an online platform
to access loans. Their platform eliminates all the hassle and gives employees
instant 24/7 access to credit at very competitive and fair rates.

KiaKia makes use of a chatbot that takes you through the
process of registration and other activities towards getting your personal
loans. You must have a work identity card before you can access a loan on
Kiakia. You can also choose to register as a lender.

What is Nigeria government’s plan about bitcoin . See what others are planning ..

Bitcoin is back in the news as its price continues a meteoric rise, with the cost of a single coin breaking $10,000 yesterday.

NASDAQ, the second largest stock exchange in the world, plans to launch bitcoin in 2018. Futures and derivatives allow investors to place bets on bitcoin without owning any of the actual currency, amplifying the amount of financial leverage on the underlying asset. It was an explosion of derivatives pegged to real estate assets like mortgages that underpinned the financial collapse of 2008.

As veteran investor and financial analyst Josh Brown wrote on his, none of this is likely to change soon:

“These people aren’t going anywhere. Crypto is here to stay. It doesn’t matter if most of the ICOs see their token prices crash by 90% (which is what I think will happen). Walking the halls and having people come up to me to explain their projects, I came to the realization that price crashes alone will not drive these people out. They’ve got business cards, and signs and LLCs and money raised and there will undoubtedly be projects that become real companies, even if the majority disappear. This is how all capitalism works. The crash of the internet economy at the turn of the century didn’t kill the internet itself. Google came around four years later. Three years after that, the iPhone came out. Then Facebook and Twitter. These are all post-crash. So if you’re sick of hearing about crypto, the bad news is that it’s going to be a part of the world for the foreseeable future.”

Did you observe this picture in your google search engine yesterday . Google honored Chinua Achebe yesterday for his 87th birthday with that google doodle.

THING FALL APART is one of the best books written by Achebe that attracted a lot of people to the creativity of his work both local and international . Reading that book back in secondary school was fun and insightful . When the center cannot hold ,things fall apart .

Is crystal clear that Achebe is one of the world’s most important modern writer

The tremendous increase and awareness of the use of internet with induce the said change . Very soon, digital/Virtual cash like bitcoin will replace our physical cash . When bitcoin started in 2009 it was like a cramp . However, as the day goes by it is gaining ground and trust speedily . Very soon Nigerian banks will start embracing it .In fact there is one of our banks that is making that move now.. Once that happens behold it will dominate the physical cash like wild fire..

If the federal Gov of Nigerian compares what it cost to print a single N50 note to what it will cost to run virtual money,you will “run mad” . But with digital cash like Bitcoin the cost is gone completely .

Very soon online shops will replace the traditional local shops as the digital age dominates the world. Time is coming when if someone asks you the address of your shop or business he will expect you to give your website address.

The rate of growth of eCommerce in African shows that very soon local business will not thrive as it has been. The proofs are there . The increase of online cash transactions done in Nigeria is over welling .There are few things limiting this but very soon it will become a reality . Get prepared now to own your online shop and start building it up gradually .

One reason is that the generation of people who do not know how to use the internet is coming to extinction ..there other reason though .

If you are a business owner, you would want to get things done efficiently with as little time possible. In order to reach this, you cannot fulfill it by yourself. You would need the help of software and applications used in business if you want to multi-task.

This is why great businesses are bigger than the small ones .

Hence business applications(software) increase productivity, measure productivity and perform other business functions accurately.

Whatever any one can manually do or think of doing can be achieved faster and better with a software . Is it accounting ? use accounting software .Is it selling? Use an ecommerce website .Is it transportation ,use a location based app like the one uber is using .In fact what ever you can imagine on this earth ,it can be achieved with a software

Business applications are built based on the requirements from the business users. Also, these business applications are built to use certain kind of Business transactions or data items. These business applications run flawlessly until there are no new business requirements or there is no change in underlying Business transactions.

You can now Reach your audience anytime . Bulk SMS Solution, like normal mobile marketing, gives you the ability to market or deliver your mind directly towards your customers’ or associate hands in real time.It seems that wherever you go these days people are playing around on their mobile devices, regardless of where they may be .

On top of the personalization abilities of bulk SMS, you will also be given the ability to reach your customers no matter where they are located! They don’t need to be watching TV to see your ad, they don’t need to get on the internet to see it, they don’t need to be driving by your billboard, and they don’t need to be next to a radio to hear it. Your customers could be on the toilet and they will still receive your text message, open it, and read it.

Get started on your bulk SMS campaign today and see the AWESOME benefits it will give you and your company!